Stay Strong
by leiaah
Summary: Ino's life comes to a stand still. Everyone around her keeps moving forward, all but one. He stands behind her waiting for the right moment to give her a much needed push forward. Oneshot, kiba/ino.


**title:** stay strong

**pairing:** kibaino

**summary:** ino's life comes to a stand still. everyone around her keeps moving forward, all but one. he stands behind her waiting for the right moment to give her a much needed push forward.

* * *

There's this moment, just before you wake up, when your mind is still foggy with sleep and your body isn't quite functional yet. It's a moment where you don't quite remember anything about yourself, anything about the past or the present.

It's the most charming and the cruellest moment to exist.

Everything seems normal until reality hits, until the sunlight streaming through the curtains invades your senses like an unwelcome guest, until your mind startlingly remembers why you're still in bed in the middle of the day.

Ino sat up slowly; letting her dishevelled blonde hair fall into place around her. Her hands rested limply in her lap and she turned her head towards the light. Bleary eyed she looked around her room; nothing had changed and everything was covered in a light film of dust, the atmosphere was stale.

Staring down at her bandaged hands she began to feel all the anger and helplessness build up inside her. Each day had been the same; in the beginning she did her best to be optimistic for those around her but the progress she was making soon came to a halt and she wasn't progressing as fast as she wanted.

That was when Ino started to get frustrated and angry with herself, with others and basically anyone who came near her.

It was after a month or so that Kiba came to see her; he was rattling on about how things outside the hospital were going and everyday life. Whilst doing this he was throwing a ball back and forth between his hands and looking in her direction, Ino however, continued to stare out the window.

"Stop it." Her voice was barely audible.

"Things are pretty slow mission wise though which is kinda boring, especially for me and Akamaru…" he went on talking as the soft thud of the ball hit his palms.

"STOP IT!"

Surprised, Kiba dropped the ball and let it roll across the floor. "Ino, what's wrong? You okay?"

"Do I look okay?! Do I look fucking okay? I'm stuck in this god forsaken place listening to you rattle on about crap." She felt useless with her damaged hands.

"I was just, trying to help. I didn't think it would be a problem?"

"Well it is. You're my problem! Get out Kiba."

He stood, his eyes becoming hard and stubborn. "No. The nurses said-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT THE NURSES SAID. _GET OUT!_" Using all the strength she had she barely gripped the vase of flowers next to the bed and threw it at the wall.

As a reflex he raised his arms in front of his face before looking at Ino.

She could see the hurt in his eyes, something shattered inside him and Ino didn't know if this would irreparably damage their friendship.

Since then, they hadn't seen each other but then again Ino had rarely been out of her room. She had regular visitors and nurses for check-ups; she could even conduct her physiotherapy from home. Slowly she swung her legs over the side of her bed and gave them a light stretch. Ino's hands had gotten better; she could now grip things and hold things but they weren't back at full functionality.

All she knew was what she had been told; they had been up against a fairly tough rouge nin and she had used her mind transfer jutsu, except something went wrong and the next thing she knew, she woke up in the hospital.

Shortly after that, Lady Tsunade told her that she could no longer form seals with her hands, whilst they would regain functionality it would never be the same. However their opponent had also done something to her chakra network, cutting of the points that led to her hands and her brain.

Ino could no longer produce chakra from these points; she wasn't even a ninja anymore. For days after the news she refused to eat, to talk, to do anything.

During this time Tsunade worried that they would have to start getting nutrients to her through an IV but she double checked the chart and found over the past week that the young kunoichi had been getting better.

One night she wandered down the hall to her room, gently sliding open the door she smiled at what she saw; Sakura was sleeping in the chair next to Ino's bed. Tsunade knew that she had only just come back from a three day mission; she was covered in dirt, a few bruises and cuts.

It had been a few months since that moment and Ino had steadily gotten better. There had been no sign of Kiba though; no word, no visit, nothing. Walking over to her dresser she picked up the ball and squeezed as hard as she could, silent tears fell on top of her hands as her shoulders shook.

Months passed and Kiba kept his distance from the blonde, he knew when he wasn't wanted and didn't want to try again. He kept himself busy and took extra missions to have an excuse when someone asked him if he had seen her.

Akamaru had put up with his sulking for long enough; he understood at first but now it had just become ridiculous. He loved Ino just as much as Kiba did, she always slipped him treats when others weren't looking and fussed him.

Kiba had his hands shoved in his pockets as they walked through the streets, no particular destination in mind with his loyal companion trotting beside him.

Akamaru stopped suddenly and cocked his head to one side, his expert hearing picking something up. Once Kiba had realised he was no longer beside him, he looked over his shoulder.

"Akamaru, c'mon! You're not chasing squirrels again; you knocked over three stalls last time."

He paid no attention to what was being said; instead he turned left and ran.

"OI! Akamaru!" he yelled before following.

He finally caught up with his friend, panting hard he looked around.

The reality of where he was struck him like lightning. Kiba hadn't been here in months, he didn't feel like he was welcome.

Glaring at Akamaru he whispered "Why'd you come here? She doesn't want me, I'm a problem."

Akamaru firmly sat down, indicating he wasn't going to leave until Kiba had at least tried to talk to the girl.

"Fine!"

He walked to the door, and knocked gently before getting a muffled response. Using his heightened senses he could hear crying, gently pushing the door open his footsteps echoed on the floor. Following the sound, he was led to the kitchen.

Scanning the room he saw a mass of broken plates and mugs, Ino was sitting at the table sobbing. The sound was too much for him to bear, china crunched under his shoes as he crossed the room quickly and crouched in front of her.

"Ino, what happened? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head and looked at him. "I'm useless Kiba, I can't do a god damn thing! I can't control chakra, I can't perform my clans jutsu, I can't even clean freaking plates!"

Kiba gently took her hands. "You are not useless, you are not. Just because you can't do those things it doesn't make you any different."

"I'm not worthy to have the Yamanaka name!"

"Yes you are!" he all but shouted. "The Yamanaka's aren't all about what they can do with their ninjutsu! You come from a line of proud, strong, wonderful people. There are so many things you can do; you are no less of a person, of a ninja."

"But I can't..."

"It doesn't matter! Not to me, not to anyone. We will find a way, I promise you we will."

"Why do you even care, after what I did?"

Words wouldn't be enough, not to convince her. All Ino had had were words and the majority of it was bad, words barely meant a thing so he did the only thing he thought would help.

Quicker than she could register it, Kiba's lips were on hers and she was kissing him back. It washed away all the anxiety and the uncertainty and something new flooded in.

Breaking apart, Kiba rested his forehead against Ino's and saw the faint smile on her face.

It was something he had missed dearly.

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**a/n:** written for me by my dear friend pan (imyourdestinymotherfucker at tumblr). let us come together and fangirl this beautiful story dskjhfsdk


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